Differentiation of integration in the European Union

What is it about?

The objective of the paper is to show that for several years, along with the stagnation in the deepening of integration between all the EU member states, differentiation of integration in the EU is progressing very rapidly. The progressing differentiation in the EU is a consequence mainly of two processes: the development of the enhanced cooperation and reforms of the eurozone. They are strengthened by widening of the EU.

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Why is it important?

The increase in differentiation in the EU observed in recent years requires us to look at it from a different perspective. This is because differentiation resulting from the development of enhanced cooperation and deepening of the integration of the euro area coun-tries is much more significant for the cohesion of the EU than e.g. transitional periods when new countries accede to the EU (EC) or the exemptions contained in protocols appended to the treaties. The deepening of the integration of the euro area countries and the development of enhanced cooperation means not only a “quantitative” but above all, a “qualitative” in-crease in differentiation of integration in the EU. The main, albeit not new, issue related to the progressing differentiation is expressed by the following question: how much differentiated integration can the EU accommodate?